The present invention relates to the field of trainers. In particular, the present invention relates to the training of firefighters for the most effective response to Class A fires, and oil spray and/or oil bilge fires. The procedures employed to combat the controlled fire generated by the present invention are the same as those recommended by the experts to combat operational fires of the same types. And, the simulator's response to proper procedures is likewise the same. The result is that training on the simulator of the present invention prepares the firefighter to combat unexpected oil and wood, rag, etc., fires. And, it does so in a safe and realistic environment.
The prior art in the field is relatively non-existent. Before the present invention, oil spray fires may not have been simulated at all. Uncontrolled fires in operational equipment were primary training ground for firefighters. And, most often these were encountered not in training at all, but in response to an emergency. Where training on oil or wood fire was attempted under controlled settings, the fire itself was uncontrolled and involved the dousing of pipes or disposables with gasoline, and igniting. The flame was realistic, but the fire did not respond realistically. Procedures that are improper for a Class A fire in the one case, or oil fire in the other, were effective against the gasoline fire which was, in reality, not a fire of the type to be encountered but a Class B fire. In addition, the gasoline fire was self-extinguishing as the gasoline was consumed by flame. Ineffectual procedures were thereby interpreted by the trainee to be successful, an erroneous and potentially dangerous conclusion.
As a result, previous attempts to simulate Class A or oil bilge and/or oil spray fires for firefighter training have been unsatisfactory. The use of a Class B material, gasoline, to initiate such fires has never approached the realism desired. The unbridled use of gasoline creates a flame wholly dissimilar to the appearance generated by a Class A fire, where smoke is often the only visible evidence of the fire. And, where a flame is present in an oil spawned fire it is most often churned into a more visible and violent flame than the nearly invisible flame associated with many gasoline fires.
Taken as a whole, the previous techniques have failed to prepare the trainee for what is to be expected from an oil or Class A fire. And, more importantly, with that failure the trainee is ill-prepared to take efficient and effective action to quell the fire most expeditiously. Time equals loss and possible injury in this environment, and experience increases efficiency and reduces time of exposure. Accordingly, the need for the realism and responsiveness afforded by the present invention has been long felt by those in the training of firefighters.
A primary objective of the present invention is to improve the preparedness of firefighters against oil spray and/or oil bilge fires by accurately simulating the appearance and dynamic response of such fires to various firefighting techniques. Improper techniques and improperly applied techniques will become acutely obvious to the trainee. He will be guided by the results he obtains and the instruction he receives to the most successful techniques, the optimum firefighting procedures for the type of fire encountered. Just as Class A fires are dynamic, the present invention reacts dynamically to optimize the training experience and leave the trainee who has learned his lessons, with a sense of confidence.
An additional objective of the present invention is to provide a controlled emergency environment that responds realistically to techniques applied by firefighters against Class A fires. Further, the appearance of both the fire and the apparatus are to be realistic in order to acquaint the trainee, as nearly as possible in a simulated environment, with the factors that will be, or are likely to be, encountered in combatting a fire in wood, cloth, etc.
An advantage of the present invention is that it is a potentially non-pollutant device. It has essentially no particulates and few gaseous products, compared to the other smoke abatement systems which include water spray and/or after burner systems. In addition, it is fully adjustable and immediately responsive, and thoroughly safe. It has the extra capability of being interrupted on command, and then resuming the simulation after detailed corrective instruction or adaptive training has been completed. Monitoring of the trainee's performance from a remote location is also contemplated, as an optional feature of the invention.
The present application is a companion case to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 086,978, entitled Deep Fat Fryer Fire Fighting Simulator, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 086,859, entitled Electrical Fire Fighting Simulator, which have all been filed concurrently.